The present invention relates to handling of multimedia content in computer systems, and in particular to handling multiple audio and video signals concurrently in the same computer system.
Personal computers have long incorporated the ability to generate sound, and to allow a user to direct or control many aspects of sound production. The user may control the sources of sound, such as by configuring software to produce sound using a built-in audio adapter, or by playing sounds from an audio CD in a built-in CD-ROM drive. The user may also configure a typical computer system to play these sounds through a built-in speaker, or to provide the audio signal to an output port to which the user may attach speakers, an external amplifier, or a recording device.
The user is limited, however, to routing one audio signal from a single source to a single output. Personal computer systems often have several devices capable of producing audio, and typical audio adapters are capable of receiving sound from more than one source. However, the audio adapter cannot route audio signals from multiple sources to multiple outputs, but can only combine or mix audio signals and route them to a single output. For example, the user cannot route audio signals from a CD player to an external port for recording while listening to program-generated sounds through external speakers.
Recently, the ability of personal computers to route and display video signals has become common, and these video signals are often accompanied by corresponding audio signals. DVD players, program software, and television are a few examples of sources that generate video signals as well as audio signals, and are found within many home computers. Just as audio adapters typically provide a single audio output, the video hardware in personal computers provides only a single video output. The user may view multiple video sources at the same time by displaying the different video signals on different portions of the same video display device, but cannot route one video signal to one display device and another video signal to a different display device or output port.
Watching a DVD movie consisting of a video and audio signal on a display device while providing a separate video and audio signal from another source such as a computer program to a second display device cannot currently be done by personal computers. There is a need for such capability in a personal computer system. There is a further need for better audio and video signal routing capabilities such that multiple signals can be handled simultaneously.
A controller is provided to route multiple audio or video signals to multiple outputs concurrently. Also provided is the ability for the user to configure the controller such that selected signals are routed to selected outputs.
In one embodiment, the ability of the user to configure the controller to route selected signals to selected outputs takes the form of software running on the personal computer. Another embodiment provides the same function by providing the user with hardware controls, such as a multi-position switch located on the external surface of the computer hardware. The invention may also take the form of a controller in a set-top box or other computer logic device
The invention may take the form of a controller that routes both video and an associated audio signal to a video port and an associated audio port concurrently. Video with accompanying audio is then routed by user specification of a source such as DVD that may contain both audio and video information, and user specification of a group of associated output ports that may provide both audio and video signals as outputs.